Scuba Divers count Salmon in the Tahsis River

Al Eden and Shawn Hayes return to the Public Works yard after counting salmon in the Tahsis River during our recent run of sunny weather. Al is from Qualicum Beach and Shawn is from Campbell River--both are in Tahsis doing contract work for DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans).

I was taking my tin cans to the recycling depot outside of the Village of Tahsis Public Works Yard when I ran into two scuba divers.

I asked them if they were counting salmon, and Al Eden replied in the affirmative. According to Al Eden, his gut feeling is that the Chinook count was up over last year. However, he qualified that by stating:

"We will have to wait till we report our figures to Head Office, where they will run an analysis on the numbers."

Al continued:

"It's too early to tell for Coho, since they are just starting to return. We have counted Sockeye as well, though probably there will only be 400 to 500 in total for Sockeye, they don't have big numbers here."

I asked how the egg gathering had gone on Sunday when the local Salmon Enhancement volunteers had come out to collect Chinook for the local hatchery. Al replied

"The collection went very well, and the eggs are already incubating at the hatchery (Conuma Hatchery)."

Currently, the Tahsis Salmon Enhancement Society is taking their fry to the Conuma Hatchery, since their local water supply needs upgrading before it will be reliable enough to keep the hatchery in town. Currently several local service organizations and businesses are raising funds for the local volunteer hatchery.

Anyone wishing to send a donation can do so through the Village office:

Tahsis Salmon Enhancement Society
C/O Village of Tahsis
Box 519
Tahsis BC V0P 1X0

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note: speaking of Salmon, I was talking to Lucille Collins of Ceepeecee Cabins, and she had a probable explanation of why there were so many bears in the townsite this fall. She has been out on the hills in the inlet, and she said that the unusually hot weather this summer had dried up the berries on the higher elevations on the mountains, and the bears were coming down earlier and in greater numbers looking for food, berry bushes and fruit trees in town.